Every year about this time, I get a phone call. “What are we going to do about gifts for Christmas?” It comes from one of my family members. And thus begins the frantic calls between family members about what everyone wants to do about gifts for Christmas.
This year it’s been decided: No Gifts. Of course there is an exception for the children, but even there we are encouraging one another to limit the purchases.
Why?
Times are tight we hear and many of us are already experiencing that. But even more than that, we each have everything we need. It’s hard to come up with anything else we really need. Yes, want is a different story, but it’s hard to justify expenditures on items we want, when we are very aware of the “need” that exists here and abroad.
So no gifts.
But here’s where I see my misconception of gift-giving. In essence, I have equated giving a gift to one of my family member’s as buying something they want (or if I’m feeling risky, getting them something I think they want). But it all revolves around money. It’s sad that I think that way.
I can give gifts to my family without spending money. In fact, isn’t it true that the greatest gifts we give and receive don’t cost money? They may cost us something, but more often than not it has nothing to do with money.
I’m not trying to be Scrooge. I just want to encourage you to consider what really would be a gift to give to the people you love in your life. What would really bless them? Those are gifts we really ought to give. A few ideas:
1. Have you ever told your kids/spouse about how you came to faith in Jesus?
2. Have you ever told your kids how you fell in love with their Mom/Dad?
3. Have you ever told your kids what you appreciate most about them and how they’ve blessed your life?
4. When is the last time you told your spouse what he or she means to you?
5. When is the last time you made (not bought) something for your family?
The greatest gifts come through relationships - not with a receipt.
Consider giving the money to those who need it.
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2 comments:
How simple Christmas would be if we could just share ourselves with our loved ones and not scurry about trying to find the perfect gift(which might end up being taken back anyway!). Learning to give gifts is ,however, very important for children to experience. The smile on a little ones face as they share the gift they chose for a loved one is beyond description. In contrast a pile of gifts set before a child only serves to confuse him and teach him that it is only about " me" and what I deserve.
In the book by Ron Hall, "Same Kind of Different As Me" the black slave tells his white mentor " I don't want to be your friend if this is just catch and release". How true that is when we only give a store-boughten gift and never intend to give of ourselves to that family member or homeless person in the shelter for the night!
It's no wonder people get depressed at Christmas. The pressure of family expectations, "did I get the right gift?" The demands on time and finances. I am happiest if my kids give me a "free" coupon to cook dinner or walk the dog or even a big hug. It means more to me to see my kids use good judgement and not spend money they don't have on stuff I don't need.
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